Robert Sherrard married Mary Buchanan

[DOBLAKE]

I have read all the above posts and am fascinated. My Buchanan family stems from Limavady, Derry and I cannot find any trace of them. My 3 times grandfather is David Joseph Buchanan, Presbyterian born 1825 who was a British soldier who fought in the Crimean war in 1850. He returned to Ireland and married four times, converting to RC to marry his third wife. He had no children that I am aware of until he married Elizabeth Ridgeway from Co. Longford in 1877 and that's my Buchanan line. However, the photos uploaded on this link are uncanny, because they are so much like my family, yet the name David is not here. Would he have been disowned and written out of the family because he changed to RC? His father was also David Buchanan and his mother was Isabella McCutcheon. I would be so thrilled if I could solve this mystery.

[DOBLAKE]

I should also add that my David Buchanan lived in Dublin, Ireland until he died in 1906.

[Christine Lyttleton]

Hello DOBlake.
Thank you for your interesting post.  I represent the Australian branch of the Buchanans, with my GGGrandfather James's sister Jane marrying Robert Sherrard.  To be honest, I do not know whether you are related.  On our side, as well as the side who immigrated to America, there is no David known as a name in the following generations.  I cannot speak for anyone in Ireland.
Where I have researched since last posting information relates to trying to get back to Scotland.  There is an interesting article written by a William Charles Reid in America.  Look it up on Google.  It is titled 'The Reids of Centreville, New Brunswick'.  It discusses a marriage between an Elizabeth Buchanan to a Reid, and that the Buchanans were in Northern Ireland at around 1789.  This fits, as my James Buchanan's father was born in Landaire (a corruption in spelling of Londonderry in about 1799-1801.  A relative in America has his year of birth as 1799). 
I believe, but have not confirmed, that this Reid family is related to our Buchanans.  My James Buchanan took out land in Trewalla near Beaufort in 1865 next to a Robert Buchanan and a George Buchanan. Robert was the father of George.  I am in contact with this Robert's GGranddaughter.  This Robert came to Australia in 1853, at the same time my James arrived in Australia.  This Robert and George immigrated from Dublin, Scotland, although it is not known whether they originated from Dublin.  The connection is that this Buchanan family had a son whom they named Thomas Reid Buchanan.  As far as I understand, this Robert Buchanan was related to my James Buchanan as a cousin.  Certainly, my Buchanan relatives had contact with cousins in Scotland until the late 1950s/early 1960s.  It is the Reid connection which links my Buchanans to Magheramore and Tamnaherin.   I have also ascertained that my James Buchanan was born at Highmoor, Slaughtmanus.  My Buchanans were definitely at Highmoor in 1825, and most likely there in 1820.
The problem with your David Joseph Buchanan in my branch of the family is the middle name Joseph. Due to the sentiments expressed in those days in my branch of the family, it is unlikely that there would be anyone in the family with the name Joseph. 
I have isolated a relative in Magheramore and have his phone number.  This is my next step.  I tried to phone a last weekend, but I had the wrong area code.  I am not familiar with Ireland.  After that, I will be purchasing a month's worth of the Irish records and simply applying for any likely death certificate for a William Buchanan, husband of Mary Norris, who was the father of James, William, Elizabeth, Jane and the elusive Robert born c.1820.  In the listings I have seen so far, there are about three William Buchanans who are potential candidates. The Buchanans live a long time.
I am interested to know which photos have similarities with your family of Buchanans.  James and William Buchanan, the brothers who came to Australia, looked very different to each other.  Some of William's children look a lot like his wife Matilda's family who came from Manchester.
I wish I could help you otherwise.  If I find anything at all, even in the long term future, I will certainly be posting this information.

[BunkiesCousin]

Greetings, I am looking for any information that I can find on a Robert Sherrard born in Ireland (likely Northern) in (or about) 1806.  He came to America and I can track him here.  He was my great-great-great grandfather.  He lived until 1894, and my great-grandfather, Roland Sherrard, whom I knew, knew him and spoke of him.  Robert would most definitely had been a protestant, and possibly a Quaker, since when he arrived here in Chester County PA his children married into old Quaker families here since the 1680s, including the Hutton and Simcox (Simcocks) families who may also have come by way of Ireland, but a hundred years or more earlier, and the Darlington and Brinton families, who were English and came as Quakers to Chester County in the 1680s. I am related to all these families, and can trace them all back fairly well, but not the Sherrards.  I cannot get beyond Robert.  American Census records have him, in 1870, living in Chester County PA with his much younger wife Ruth Ann McCool (she was 45, and he was 64 then) with their 5 children,  Joseph (19), William (17), Margaret (15), Ruth (13), and Samuel (10). Their son Joseph married Delia Brinton Darlington, and their son Joseph Roland Darlington Sherrard married Helen Simcox, daughter of Walker Speakman Simcox.  The SImcocks family came to Quaker Cherster county in the 1680s, and the name Walker and Cheyney (Cheyny) appear often in that line as first names.
Any assistance you can give me in tracking down these relatives would be most helpful.  Ruth Ann McCool was also born in Ireland, according to American Census records.  I do not know if they married in Ireland, or when either of them came to the US, or if Ruth was a second wife, which could be possible considering the age difference between she and Robert Sherrard.   

[shanreagh]

Hello DOBlake.
...
The problem with your David Joseph Buchanan in my branch of the family is the middle name Joseph. Due to the sentiments expressed in those days in my branch of the family, it is unlikely that there would be anyone in the family with the name Joseph. 
...

I would be wary of reading anything into a name such as Joseph.  My family has ancestors from Limavady and Londonderry going right back to early 1800s and this family has always been very strongly Presbyterian, with occasional forays into Church of Ireland.  The name came out to NZ and several descendants here, Church of England also have that name.  You may miss out on valuable links if you do not keep an open mind about the names our ancestors used.

[aghadowey]

Hello DOBlake.
...
The problem with your David Joseph Buchanan in my branch of the family is the middle name Joseph. Due to the sentiments expressed in those days in my branch of the family, it is unlikely that there would be anyone in the family with the name Joseph. 
...

I haven't read back through all 7 pages but I'm totally puzzled by this reference to the name Joseph 

[shanreagh]

Hello DOBlake.
...
The problem with your David Joseph Buchanan in my branch of the family is the middle name Joseph. Due to the sentiments expressed in those days in my branch of the family, it is unlikely that there would be anyone in the family with the name Joseph. 
...

I haven't read back through all 7 pages but I'm totally puzzled by this reference to the name Joseph 

As I am. I thought perhaps it was perceived to be an Irish Catholic name hence my reply. My other ancestors had names such as Isaac one even Joseph Isaac.  He has always been Presbyterian/CoI. Isaac is a popular Jewish name but he was not Jewish.    The ironic thing is that this family has one occurrence of the name Buchanan as a second name which may be incorrect or may not be......

[aghadowey]

But Joseph is a Biblical name (as is Isaac) and not confined to Catholics 

[shanreagh]

But Joseph is a Biblical name (as is Isaac) and not confined to Catholics 

Yes agree.

Brings up some tips about searching for ancestors - expect the unexpected, don't be fanatical about spelling as these can change and keep an open mind about names and naming patterns.